Shock and Awe

Rob Reiner’s worst movie in years, Shock and Awe follows reporters Jonathan Landay (Woody Harrelson) and Warren Strobel (James Marsden) as they attempt to disprove President George W. Bush’s assertion that Saddam Hussein possesses Weapons of Mass Destruction. The degree to which Shock and Awe is unable to hold one’s interest is ultimately rather surprising (and distressing), as filmmaker Reiner has assembled a misleadingly strong cast and placed them within the confines of a heavy-handed and momentum-free narrative – with Joey Hartstone’s screenplay eschewing down-to-earth, naturalistic dialogue in favor of subtle-as-a-sledgehammer instances of speechifying. There is, as such, little doubt that Reiner’s ongoing efforts at cultivating a suspenseful, All the President’s Men-like atmosphere fall hopelessly flat, and it’s clear, too, that Hartstone’s attempts at fleshing out the two central characters are nothing short of laughable – with, especially, the ludicrous subplot detailing Warren’s new relationship with a pretty neighbor (Jessica Biel’s Lisa) standing out like a sore thumb (ie this pointless thread feels like it’d be more at home within a goofy romantic comedy). Shock and Awe‘s relentlessly uninvolving and often incompetent vibe prevents one from working up any interest in or enthusiasm for the protagonists’ endeavors, obviously, while the pieces-finally-fall-into-place bent of the movie’s final stretch is unable to pack the triumphant punch Reiner has obviously intended. The end result is a fairly disastrous misfire that contains few elements worth wholeheartedly embracing, which is a shame, certainly, given the massive potential afforded by the incredibly relevant true-life subject matter.

*1/2 out of ****